All the comments I've read are applicable for us all. The one I would add is that I waited too long to leave the rat race. I retired at 49. I should have left sooner. Of course, being able to predict with absolute certainty the course of future market swings would be nice, but I've yet to meet anyone who can claim success in that regard. Buy, hold, and keep buying and holding in a well-diversified equity portfolio (like an Index fund) is the best advice I can give to a young investor, along with reducing your debt to zero at the earliest possible time.

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